A farmer of Mulukaida village under Soro block in Odisha’s Balasore district allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison today after being unable to repay loan taken by him for treatment of his cancer-affected wife.

Sukura Mallik (70), the farmer, was admitted to Balasore district headquarters hospital where he succumbed while undergoing treatment.

According to reports, Sukura had taken a loan of Rs 18,000 from a self-help group for the treatment of his wife Umamani, who was suffering from cancer.

He was under stress to repay the amount and a hefty interest of Rs 5,000 per month.

Adding to his woes, his elder son had died in a road accident in Mumbai ten months back.

Besides the pressure of repaying the loan, Sukura, suffering from ill health conditions, had the responsibility of taking care of his wife, his deceased son’s wife and two children.

Unable to bear the burden, he might have taken the extreme step, Umamani said.

Meanwhile, the district administration has ordered a probe into the incident. District Collector Pramod Kumar Das has sought a report from local tehsildar.